


Mark of the Hunter

by Serpex



Series: Annie Week 2020 - Serpex [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Animals, Annie Week, Annie Week 2020, Cats, Character Death, Character's Name Spelled as Hanji, Death, F/F, Hange x Annie, Kidnapping, Pets, Shapeshifting, Therian, Torture, Were-Creatures, Werecats, female Hanji, tragic backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23291029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serpex/pseuds/Serpex
Summary: Annie is a therian hunter, one who specializes in culling shapeshifters. Her tainted blood has left her with an uncanny tracking ability to find even the most remote and skilled therians. As she travels from town to town, she stumbles upon a small farming community who suspects a that there is a therian lurking along the outskirts. Annie assures that she will take of it only she finds the trail leading to a far off area, a treacherous cliffside where the scent suddenly ends.
Relationships: Hange Zoë/Annie Leonhart
Series: Annie Week 2020 - Serpex [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666270
Kudos: 6





	Mark of the Hunter

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Annie Week 2020 with prompts set by @JesterEddin on Wattpad
> 
> Day 2: Pets/Animals/Cats
> 
> Unfortunately, the transition from in-person to online classes really went into effect this week, so this along with the rest of the Annie Week fics are going to be late. I just have so much catching up to do in my studies, so sincerest apologies.
> 
> Anyway, this is probably one of my personal favorites. I love Hanji to death. She's my second favorite character in Attack On Titan next to Levi and will forever have a place in my heart. I am honored to bring this second installment of Annie Week to you!

The lines along the fields were barren of workers. People hid within the confines of their homes knowing something was lurking out there. I could practically feel the electricity buzzing through the humid air. The report that a possible loose feral therian in the area was brief, desperate, and to the point. Find it, eliminate it, and return for a reward.

It wasn't like I had a particular joy to killing the shapeshifters. It was more about who they were and their way of life was harmful to everyone around them. It was like have cockroaches roaming around every corner except they were as big as you were and could kill you in the blink of an eye if you weren't careful. They are chaotic no matter where they went, pests of the largest breed.

No matter how much they tried to hide or how far they tried to run, I could chase them down. My blood boils every time I get a whiff of them. Only when their laying dead beneath my blade was I satisfied. In truth, some see me as the bane. They don't understand my missions to cull the species, but it's because they don't know my past. Why can I sense these beings who disguise and blend so well among us humans?

It was because I carried therian blood within me.

I cannot shapeshift. I despise the notion of it and am much more comfortable living in my own skin. However, I do carry the gene in me. Human experimentation is a dark art that should never be performed on any person, even less so a child. Yet, somehow I got the short end of the stick without even having that choice. You would think I would forget everything that happened, but even at six years old, no one could forget anything like that. I was an orphan, alone from the moment my mother died at childbirth and my father was killed in a village raid by bandits. I thought I found a new home when a seemingly innocent couple adopted me. However, it was when they shoved a cloth over my head and tossed me like a sack of potatoes into a cage that I was wrong. We all were.

These therians wanted to create an artificial vessel that they could turn into their kind. I remember being alive, breathing as they cut open my body and then sewed it back up over and over. It was an endless cycle of needles and knives. I screamed so much that I didn't even have the energy after three days. The torture continued until they gave up and dumped me along the sewage lines. I should have died that day. My body crumpled into a ball and bones fractured puncturing muscle. I couldn't hear my heart pulsing to my head anymore. I just laid there in the heart of the sewers with only the water rapids trickling behind me.

Somehow, I felt strength coming to all my limbs bending them and reshaping them until I was whole again. When I could finally move, I stood up and opened my eyes. There was a stink that filled me worse than any of the waste surrounding me. It was overpowering enough to make you stagger back.

I climbed out of the sewers, small enough to slip between the narrow space where the street met the tunnels. With determined resolve, the therians who took my humanity away from me were culled. It felt like a dream when I finally had control of myself again. I was surrounded by their unmoving bodies seeping blood onto the concrete floor. My hands were rubbed raw from choking and raking them until they could no longer fight back.

Local authorities found me like that. Many other victims were recovered after I gave the authorities openings to approach the headquarters. When I was brought back to civilization, a small institution cared for me. However, my blood and body were tainted by their mark. I went to countless doctors, but the effect could not be removed. As I grew older, the incident became known as Operation Therian Isolated Sanction, O.T.I.S. I was the renowned hero of the event. There was amazement that went around simply because I had the ability to do what others could not, to kill a therian, and that fueled a new purpose for my life.

A private instructor taught me how to use weapons and defend myself with whatever tool I saw fit. The therian blood made my physical strength much stronger than the average human, and in that sense, I was someone that could strike fear. I was someone who possessed power.

There was a dense fog covering the empty fields. A sheer blanket of eerie atmosphere curled around each and every bend. I could understand the fear the people of this village had. After all, they all knew that being the target of a therian's prey was walking into a spider's web. The beast is hiding underneath the fog. Do not get caught under its shadowed gaze.

It didn't take long for me to pick up the trail of this rogue therian. The end of the field was still a mile out, but the smell was already permeating my nostrils. There weren't any territory marks so this one must be residing away from the town. However, not far enough that it would linger and be spotted so many times.

Every person I spoke to said the same thing. Large and decently tall, it had large eyes that seemed to flash. Large dark felted ears stuck out with tuft-like attributes. Instinctively, I sensed it must be a caracal Gatheo therian

A Gatheo in the simplest sense was a cat shifter, a werecat. It was a subspecies lower than the typical canine Lycan therians or even the reptilian Dracken therians. These ones were crafty and blend in more than the others. They prey on the unsuspecting and live a solitary nomadic life. Unlike the others, the Gatheo were rarely like pack animals. The people here are worried someone will go missing or the crops will be destroyed if they leave things any longer.

The trail was intricate. The therian seemed to know that a hunter had the chance of following so the scent slithered around many areas and even crawled into the treetops. The fog covered up the trail a bit, but it did nothing to stop me. Circles and circles of the scent crossed paths tens of times before leading on to another loop. However, just as the trail had one entrance, everything led to one exit.

And yet, it seems like I wasn't dealing with the average caracal. The trail left the forest and bee-lined for a canyon. It zipped straight off of a cliff side leaving in pebbles in its wake. The fog seemed to lift here and beyond the edge, the cliff overlooked a large water rapid. It felt like the therian had jumped and drowned itself. And yet, the scent was too frequent to suddenly disappear.

Intuition brought me closer to the edge. I kneeled down and leaned over the side enough so I could see the whole cliff wall. And there lies my answer. A small indent in the wall opened up into a platform. Although at a glance, it seemed like nothing but a foothold, but there was a cave behind the illusion. The therian's den is right under my nose.

I begin to scale down the cliffside noting which areas seemed fragile and others strong enough to hold my thin frame. If I fell into those waters, the current would no doubt pull me under. I was nearly halfway down when my left foot suddenly cracked the crevice I jut into. Air rushed out of my lungs as the foothold gave way and I instinctively gripped my hands only to break away all the other grips. I braced myself for impact wondering if this was it. Maybe, this was how I was going to go.

Only, instead, I let out a scream as my body cracked onto hard rock. I tumbled in and somehow managed to land on the platform. Signs of the therian were now extremely apparent. I tried to move around but my leg throbbed with pain and shot up the rest of my body. No bones were broken, but it was going to leave a badly sprained ankle. I had to stop myself from putting weight, and yet the target was so close!

Before I could make any judgment, there was an abrupt chirp. I whipped my head to see eyes glowing from within the cave. The therian approached me poised and cautious. As the light illuminated its form, I could see clearly what she chose to look like.

Her appearance was strange. Most therians took the form of a human or that of an enlarged animal form. Instead, she seemed to be in between, something I had never seen before. She was somewhat tall and sported a yellow button-up with some elastic brown pants. Large goggles covered her dark eyes which admittedly complemented her hazel hair. Poking out of her scalp were two large ears that twitched as she tried to pick up my movement. I had to move before she realized I was injured.

Using all the strength I had, I lunged forward pitifully and yanked a dagger out of my sleeve. I was met with metal clanging onto the stone as I stumbled back to the ground with my leg pulsing. I groaned but still tried again. The therian stepped back a bit leaving me to eat dust once more. There was a snort and growl of sorts that she emitted. Was she laughing at me? Yet, she did not attempt to bite me or even simply push me off the ledge.

All of a sudden, the dagger was taken away, and swift hands patted my body. I shrieked and tried to fight, but this therian was all muscle. She easily held me down and uncovered every single weapon I had hidden from feet to torso and even the throwing knives I kept in my hair. I groaned as she lifted me up and began to carry me deeper into the cave.

"Let me go, you miserable bitch! I'm going to rip your throat out," I threatened. However, the therian did nothing. Pounding her back didn't even so much as make her flinch. I even tried to reach back and pull her ears, but they danced out of my weak grip with ease. Before I knew it, I was sling back down only I was now on top of some straw and blankets. I froze unable to grasp what just happened. Almost in a serene fashion, the therian silently started mixing a poultice. I shook as my leg still rippled like fire, but began to take things in.

This therian wasn't out to hurt me, and instead brought me to its... room? The makeshift bed was simple but somewhat comfortable, the cotton blanket well used and cared for. Shadows flickered across cavern walls as a small lantern in the center of the room burned among some oil. Bowls and jars among other containers filled every space of the walls like a prehistoric museum was on display. I recognized some as crops taken from the village. They weren't terribly large amounts, but it was enough to wonder.

Why is this therian collecting things? Why was she suddenly treating me? I grit my teeth as it came over and rubbed a strange green goo on my leg. I kicked out, but she easily caught my good foot. I shouted at her only to realize my sprained foot was feeling better. I was shocked at her gentle touch and eagerness to help me. I felt warm inside wanting to crave that touch, but she pulled herself away before I could bask in it anymore.

"There," she said. "You should be able to walk again by tomorrow. Do not push yourself or it will become worse. Might even have to break it and re-grow it correctly." Her voice was heavy with an accent that I never thought I would hear again. It was the same dialect they used in the hometown where I was first experimented on. I was in shock suddenly feeling memories bursting at the surface. I was conflicted by my want to kill and my want to understand.

Therians I hunted were like trapped animals. They bit ad lashed out, they attacked, they killed, and they do not trust.

"Why are you helping me?" I managed to ask. The therian smirked a bit before sitting on the ground across of me. There was a hint of humor that seemed to radiate off her smile.

"You're hurt, right? So, I helped you," she answered.

"I came here to kill you," I stated.

"I know. But, is being an enemy any reason to not lend a hand? I can't stand seeing hurt people. Of course, I know how strong you are. The name is Hanji Zoe. And you are Annie Leonhardt, therian killer and the one who I happen to be interested in. I know of your deeds and your strong bloodlust for people like me. Your power is beyond any other hunters and you succeed in every shifter you've encountered. Only, you just happened to be a victim of circumstance this time," she mused.

"If you are so interested, then are you going to make me a plaything? I have no intention of accepting such a fate. If what you say is true, that I will heal in only hours, it won't take much for me to kill you. If you run, I'll still find you," I spat.

"My intentions are not along those lines," she reassured. "More so, I have something I would like to offer in exchange."

"I'm listening..." I mumbled. Hanji suddenly stopped smiling, and her expression became grim like a bad memory was flashing before her eyes.

"You are one of the only ones who can understand this as I do. You were involved in O.T.I.S." The mention of the event made my skin crawl. I grew extremely alert knowing this strange cat shifter knew what that was or even that I was apart of it. "Humans were not the only ones to be captured and used by the ones that you killed. There are more ill organizations of therians who simply live to see the world burn just as many bad humans would do the same. I also had something happen in my life which makes me disgusted by my species, and beyond that, my own family. I once had a sister. Both of us were born to a powerful therian family. My father was what you would refer to as an Alpha. His word was law, and his law revolves around the underground fights. In a colosseum fashion, therian would fight against therian until one left the realm of the living. It's a gambling sport, a bloody one that you see in the illegal dog or cockfights. The importance of therian fights lies with my father."

She paused for a moment before making a face of disgust.

"I suppose now," she continued. "That thing can't really be called my father. His Alpha title was gained from slaughtering anyone in his path, and his followers were gained from fear. His largest desire was to continue his legacy. He wanted strong protégés. I was born first and then my sister only two years later. We thrived off each other. However, as we grew older, one thing became apparent. Where I was strong and easily became accustomed to my caracal abilities, my sister lacked it completely. She did not carry the gene. Our father took that as a sign to try a new approach. He wanted to create an artificial therian. Perhaps, that sounds familiar?"

"That was the exact thing they tried to do to me," I exclaimed. Hanji hummed in agreement.

"It failed. Unlike you, she couldn't survive. I wanted vengeance for my sister. I sought to make things right so no one would have to suffer like either of you. My life's work has led up to this point: I am here to create a natural cure. If people have a solution or an answer to this therian substitute, no one would have to be experimented on. Families would never have to be broken apart. Rather than altering the genetic code of our DNA, my method is to create an implant that acts as a trigger. There would be two things that react to the implant spurring the transformation sequence. One will turn the user into a therian and the other will revert them back into a human. I wish that this will open a new generation where we all can live peacefully together, human and therian. If only my monster of a father could have seen the scientific way to do this. Of course, he won't be now or ever will." My eyes widened at the realization she had killed her own father. There was almost a blissful glint to her eyes as her lips twisted into a sadistic smile. However, she caught herself and became neutral again.

"I've been traveling around getting different ingredients. As you can see, it's not complete but the first one leaves me like this: a half-human, half-therian instead of one or the other. So, what do you think?" she asked. I pondered her words and had to admit that it was impressive. The thought was both horrifying and enlightening. If something like this had existed back then, I would never have had to live like this. There could have been a chance I would have had a normal life or even had a normal family. 

"Just what exactly makes you think this would work? It sounds like a dream, but it's like you say. There are bad therians in this world. You might be sparing, but I've met many others who are not."

"And in the same notion, haven't you also taken the lives of therians who committed no crime?" Hanji countered. "I have hope for the future. But, I won't be able to do it alone. Each of us can influence our people. For that reason, I'm begging you, Annie. Help me. And if you truly can't find the heart or reason to pursue this dream. Then... I'll let you kill me. You said it yourself. In a few hours, you'll be able to move fine. I don't intend to leave, but know that you erase a future where children won't suffer from therian tyranny." She had a determined expression and sat up straighter, but I could see her hands shaking. 

I don't know if it was pity or maybe, deep down I was starting to have hope, too. Like a fire was being rekindled in my heart, I found myself wanting to reach out.

"I'll join you," I said. "You have... Promise, and enthusiasm. I think to ease what people think, you could be... my cat?" Hanji flinched and raised a brow.

"Like a pet?" I shrugged and leaned back into the bed.

"Yeah, I guess so. Your therian form is obviously larger than the average caracal, but with my credibility, I can vouch that you're large due to excess training which isn't really a lie since you seem fairly strong and smart enough to hold yourself out this long. I know it might be a bit demeaning, but until those potions of yours are done and work correctly, you can't freely walk around without suspicion. At least, I can probably get ingredients easily compared to your struggle. I... don't enjoy the idea of sharing space with a therian. However, if the future can be as good as you say, I'll place my bets on it. It's a big change, but I am willing to try." Hanji leaped up into the air and grabbed my hands pressing them together.

"Yes! You are amazing, Annie. We are going to make this world an amazing place together. Once your leg is in order, and I've packed things up here, we can begin a new era. Annie... Thank you for giving me a chance." Before I knew it, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around me. Warmth filled my limbs, I found myself leaning into her touch. It was comforting to be held like that to where I nearly let a smile out of my stoic gaze. Hanji seemed to know though and pulled away with a giggle. I watched as she excitedly began to sort through her essentials. 

This might have been an impulsive move on my part, but hope has a weird way of manifesting. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, they say. So, let's see how much fate has in store for me.

**Author's Note:**

> Online classes are really stressing me out. I feel like now that I've started really developing new routines, the classes actually seem more mentally taxing than they were face to face. I don't know if it's because I have to balance home life and college classes even more or what, but something about it is just unbelievably irritating. 
> 
> Anyway, I still plan on writing all seven prompts for Annie Week, but they'll be late. I've got a speech and two essays due soon, so those will take priority before I even touch the rest of these. I hope you guys enjoyed this one though. 
> 
> Once again, it turned out longer than I intended. I don't even know if any of these are going to be 1,000 words like I plan any more xD


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